Israel tells US, time to act on Iran

September 26, 2009 3:45:49 PM PDT

By IAN DEITCH Associated Press Writer

JERUSALEM (AP) - September 26, 2009 --

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the U.S. to take action over a newly revealed Iranian nuclear facility in a phone conversation with American lawmakers, an official in his office said Saturday. Netanyahu spoke with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a number of unidentified U.S. senators and told them that now is the time to act on Iran. Israel maintains the Islamic republic is seeking nuclear weapons.

"If not now then when?" the official quoted Netanyahu as saying. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to speak with the media.

He did not disclose what kind of action Netanyahu recommend be taken.

Iran kept the facility, located 100 miles southwest of Tehran, hidden from the U.N. nuclear watchdog until revealing it last week.

Israel has long sounded alarm bells over its belief that Iran is seeking nuclear weapons while Tehran insists its facilities are only for producing nuclear fuel for power plants.

"This removes the dispute whether Iran is developing military nuclear power or not and therefore the world powers need to draw conclusions," Lieberman told Israel Radio. "Without a doubt it is a reactor for military purposes not peaceful purposes."

The facility enriches uranium fuel to power nuclear reactors. Highly enriched fuel, however, can also be used to make weapons. Evidence of the clandestine facility was presented Friday by President Barack Obama and the leaders of Britain and France at the G-20 economic summit in Pittsburgh.